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wendyb_gw4

accent wall color and other decorating dilemnas!

WendyB 5A/MA
10 years ago

I recently moved into a new space and am trying to finish up the living room color choices. I have a few dilemnas I have been wrestling with and could use some opinions.

My decorating background is tons of deep rich colors and traditional style and a tendency to overdo!!! Here I am trying to restrain myself and keep it simple and clean. Very hard.

here is a link to an album of a bunch of pictures from various angles highlighting various issues.

My Living Room

1. I don't want to paint the whole room. I think the light walls are important to keep the space bright, but I do want to add some color to some wall for an accent color. I think the TV wall calls for it, but because it is not the wall that you see when you enter the room from the foyer, I think it may not be effective as an accent wall. (Eventually, I want a bigger console and to mount the tv to the wall, but for now, this is what I've got to work with.)

2. I initially thought some shade of green would be good to pull the existing green accent pops in the pillows and throw, but now I think it might fight even though I love the idea of a green. I think a light taupe might be a better more cohesive choice. The rug has sage green in it, but the other greens are brighter more apple-like.

3. It was suggested by the paint decorator lady at the paint store to make the Fireplace angled wall be the colored accent wall because it is more "focal" walking into the room. And it is small enough, green would be fine there. I agree, but I hate that it is on an angle and I am concerned to play that up more. However, what's there now is very bland and needs some help. She suggested hanging the hydrangea picture over the mantel and it does help, but I like that picture over the sofa more. I can probably find a more substantial picture than the bland starburst that is there now.

4. There was an idea to paint the fireplace mantel black. I love painted black furniture (see the black hutch-turned-bookcase on the other end of the room. there is a small black piece in the foyer too). I did some black FP mock-ups but they scare me!

The windows will eventually be some type of decorative shade, probably roman, in some sort of tan,mocha,taupe shade. I would like to skip drapes here - but ya never know.

Appreciate any input on any or all of my dilemnas!

Comments (12)

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    10 years ago

    It's a pretty room and you have a nice color scheme going. My suggestions on the whole room.

    1. the mum pic is too high over the sofa. I like it over the fp.

    2. I would go for a deeper olive green as the accent color ...even deeper than your throw...maybe BM perennial or BM huntington green and I would paint the window wall and the angled wall of the fp. I would not paint the woodwork dark...rather the wall dark so the fp stands out. This will do a couple of things. It will help bring that wall in as the room looks a little long and narrow now, and it will add weight to that wall to offset the weight of the hutch on the wall opposite.

    3. I would get drapery panels to hang on the outside of the triple window whether you get wooden shades or not...it is part of adding fabric, softness and color to the room and it will help keep the fp in balance with the windows. Hang them up by the ceiling and let the wood blind fill in the space between the ceiling and the window top.

    4. I would add a lamp to the other side table by the sofa.

    5. Your rug is nice but too small for the area, so I would move it so it is under the front legs of the sofa and defines that conversational cluster, and leaves the club chair/ottoman off.

    6. I wouldn't worry too much about the tv wall for now....wait until you get the entertainment center you want. In the meantime, you can add more art, just to keep it from looking too blank.

  • amykath
    10 years ago

    I agree with Annie. My only other suggestion would be to pull the sofa and tables away from the wall a bit. It will make your space feel cozier.

  • WendyB 5A/MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks ladies for your comments. Agree rug is too small for the room (brought it with me from previous house). I moved it under the sofa legs for that conversation look, but it may be too big for that. I may have to move even more of it under the sofa. I will post pic.

    I went to pier1.com hoping that same lamp is on sale to match the other side, but not yet. I had been thinking it was a tad small for the space, but you think size is okay?

    I am in the process of rearranging hydrangea and throw pillows and filling nail holes.

    I was hoping I had a swatch of those greens in my swatch stash, but alas, no. On the monitor Huntington Green looks great. I like dark colors so I have no problem with going dark in a confined area - and most accent walls usually are dark too

    One problem with drapes is there is virtually no stack space between the rightmost window and the fireplace. It would have to be fairly thin fabric. So I was thinking of fabric roman shades to get some fabric in here. Also, there is a sunroom/den off to the left and has another triple window that is almost in the same "eyeful". I have been working on the assumption that all 6 windows should be dressed similarly.

    V2 pictures coming up soon.

  • WendyB 5A/MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here's rearrangement pics. Notice rug placement, picture placement, pillows, tv wall.

  • junco East Georgia zone 8a
    10 years ago

    I like the idea of the green for the fireplace/window wall, and the Hydrangea picture looks good over the fp. But the other wall items are still too high. I would try the abstract landscapes with the clock over the TV--just a few inches lower. Then look for another large/longer piece for over the sofa--again make sure it is hung a few inches lower.
    The room is looking lovely. I'm not good with window treatments so I can't help there.

  • WendyB 5A/MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here's a third take on the rug placement. The original placement definitely made it look like it was too small for the room. The 2nd placement didn't seem to take it far enough to create a "conversation" group. This 3rd placement is definitely a conversation group, but the new blank area feels too blank to me and makes me desperately want a proper 8x12. (current is 6.9x10). Maybe its just because I got used to it the way it was.

    I also am not crazy about the abstract trees over the sofa. looks bland to me. I miss the hydrangea, but it may just be the wrong pictures. too small... too neutral. Doesn't tie in with rug colors as well as the hydrangea did.

    @junco did you see the original version in the link with the trees on the tv wall.

    And a closeup of the fp... I just LUV that picture -- no matter where it is!

    And here's a picture in the foyer that I could bring into the LR space somewhere. Easier to replace a foyer picture that doesn't have to match anything.

    and I just received and installed an online high-risk purchase of a rug for the nearby sunroom-office. The picture showed camel, but the description said light-green. I felt I could live with either if it was a nice shade. It's not like me to take a gamble like that, but I did (they promised return free shipping if I didn't like it) and I love it. Could be bigger, but it will do for now. The room was soooo cold before. Now I can do windows. Grommet panels for now. fancy roman top-down-bottom-up cordless shades when some money comes in.

    And I wouldn't be surprised if that green is similar to Huntington Green. On the way to the paint store now to grab some more green samples for FP/Window wall.

  • Olychick
    10 years ago

    I like the arrangement so much better now. Nice! I think the foyer art goes so nicely with your sconce, I would leave it and look for something for behind couch (or tv wall) if you don't like what's there, or would prefer to move those pieces behind tv. If you leave them on couch wall, like was mentioned, they would look better if you lower them so the lower edge is about even with the bottom of the lampshade in the pic.

  • teacats
    10 years ago

    Let's see:

    a)Move the cabinet that is sitting under the long window. Try it in the office ...

    b)Move the dark brown chair/ottoman to the spot where the white chair now sits. It will now float and allow TV viewing ....

    c)Move the sofa SLIGHTLY to the right on the main wall (this is mere inches) SO that the white chair can sit on the left-hand side .....

    d)Pull the rug out just enough that the front legs of the sofa are on it .....

    e)Find a much longer, low and dark-colored cabinet for the TV -- and use that current TV table as your coffee table .....

    f)Switch the tree artworks to the wall to the left of the TV -- stack them vertically .....

    g)Find a larger set of four artworks OR one larger artwork to hang over the sofa ....

  • patty_cakes
    10 years ago

    You've created a very pretty room and palette, but I think it may be a little too matchy-matchy, and predictable. With all the solids, maybe a pattern would add some interest and break things ups.

    Maybe an animal print?

    Here is a link that might be useful: pillow

  • junco East Georgia zone 8a
    10 years ago

    Wendyb--
    I went back to your original link and saw the trees stacked to the left of the TV. I like that if you find something for over the TV. And I agree with the idea of a longer TV table-- I remember you have a goal for the TV wall, but a longer stand in the mean time would help a lot.
    You could try the foyer picture over the TV and see how that looks, with and without the trees. It does look nice with the sconce and you could always put it back in there. I think the room is beautiful--it just needs a few tweaks to pull it together . You could always live with it a while and see what it needs, or what you find. The sunroom will flow nicely now with the new rug. I'm waiting to see what greens you found at the paint store!

  • WendyB 5A/MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    @patty_cakes I think you are right about matchy-matchy and predictable. I'm starting to feel it. I do miss the pillow on the sofa that I used to have there. It was great with hydrangea but not trees. Actually, that patterned pillow was the inspiration pillow for the color scheme. I originally had the brown chair and the rug. Then I bought the oatmeal sofa. While waiting 12 long weeks for delivery, I found the pillow to inspire accessories.

    @teacats that is so funny that you suggest the brown chair for watching tv. You wouldn't believe how hard I tried to have it there. I even ordered a small size sofa to give me more possibility of fitting in the brown chair. Alas, I could not do it. I could get it close to the right spacing and angle, but that huge ottoman just ruined any chance of a coffee table. I remember even once I got it pretty darn close and was even willing to forego a coffee table or settle for small cubes, but the scale of the chair/ottoman was just overpowering the scale of the sofa. I was ultra disappointed. That brown chair is awesome for tv. sadly I moved on.

    @annie sadly neither of those paint colors were available on chips. I had to go to two stores to find it on a fan deck. They had a sheet sample, but wouldn't let me sign it out. arggh... Perennial was quite bright, but Huntington Green could be a possibility. With the windows and the F/P breaking things up, I could handle it. I took a sample card of Dark Celery and Oregano which are kinda in the same direciton -- not as bright..

    I think I am not liking the rug in conversational group mode. I am probably going to put it back to looks-too-small-for-the-room-mode,

  • patty_cakes
    10 years ago

    Wendy, put that dang pillow back! Your 'gut feeling' was spot on!! ;)

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